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Oct 29, 2020
Days of heavy rains resulted in widespread flooding in Cambodia. The ASA/WISHH-supported Cambodian Aquaculturist Association (CAA) and CAST are leading a response to help farmers who have lost fish, demonstrating the young association’s leadership.
The ASA/WISHH-supported Cambodian Aquaculturist Association (CAA) is working with hatcheries and other members with operations flooded by recent daily rain downpours. At least 10 CAA members are affected, with one member’s hatchery completely flooded. Widespread flooding has impacted as many as 70% of the ponds in the region served by ASA/WISHH’s Commercialization of Aquaculture for Sustainability Trade (CAST)-Cambodia project.
CAST and the new association are taking action to help farmers like Phal Veasna, whose Battambang province hatchery was completely flooded, resulting in an estimated $10,000 loss. Veasna has nine fish ponds, including the hatchery station with four different species – walking catfish, pangasius, silver bard and tilapia. The flood waters caused the loss of two tons of fish, including 10 thousand fingerlings and his breeding stock.
In response to the unexpected situation, CAA board members came together to provide financial support, both personally and from the CAA. The flood response is a demonstration of CAA leadership. The CAST/CAA team is still gathering more information and confirming the number of association members who are also CAST beneficiaries that are affected by the historic Cambodian flood of 2020.
